Rooks Nest Ventures, London’s newest venture capital firm, launches today with an initial fund of £28 million.
The firm’s focus will be to connect media and entertainment companies with disruptive technology businesses.
The fund will invest in technology businesses that are innovating in and around content, and media and entertainment companies who are creating licensable intellectual property. Though London-based, Rooks Nest Ventures can also invest in companies outside of the UK.
Rooks Nest Ventures is founces by investor and film producer Michael Sackler, whose past credits include indie hit films like The Witch and Obvious Child. He also sits on the board of animation company Doodle Productions, and theatre company PunchDrunk Global, among others.
The firm was founded following the success of its sister company, film studio Rooks Nest Entertainment. It is this industry knowledge the Rooks Nest Ventures aims to bring to to help its portfolio companies, from making those first connections with leaders in the industry, to giving them the exposure to strike the right type of partnerships that will elevate their product, successfully commercialise their IP and penetrate their target market.
“It’s been clear to me for some time that the media aneeds entertainment sector needs to be brought closer to the world of technology,” Michael Sackler, Rooks Nest Ventures founder and managing partner said.
“Content needs tech, and tech need content. So while there is some funding available for media and entertainment businesses, none of them truly link technology and content. By launching Rooks Nest Ventures I believe we are building this bridge, and ensuring the capital gets where it needs to be, to the synergistic benefit of both media & entertainment and technology.”
Rooks Nest Ventures’ current portfolio companies include Doodle Productions, creator of the international hit animated series Messy Goes To Okido, Disruptor Beam, creator of popular mobile games such as Game of Thrones Ascent and Star Trek Timelines, immersive theatre company PunchDrunk, and The Rights Xchange, a digital TV rights marketplace which also includes Sky and Channel 4 as investors.
“Our overall aim is to help provide entrepreneurs with the knowledge, support and investment to help them achieve growth,” he added.
“We have a deep passion for culture and we’re excited to play an instrumental part in bringing together the media and entertainment and technology industries in a way that has never been done before.”
